The Kanex XD allows you to use your 27" iMac system as a monitor for your …

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The Kanex XD is a product that works incredibly well at a job that shouldn't even exist. When Apple launched its 27" iMacs, complete with that huge, beautiful screen, the company locked down the video input to the Mini DisplayPort standard. You can't connect your gaming console, your Blu-ray player, or much of anything else. For everything Apple gives, it has to take something away. Such is life.

Enter the Kanex XD, a powered converter that takes the HDMI signals from your gaming console or other A/V components and spits them out via Mini DisplayPort. It's also a $150 product, but if you're worried about hooking a high-definition gaming console up to a 27" iMac... well, you're most likely in a certain income tax bracket.

Does the product do what it advertises? Let's take a look.

The product works, but there are gotchas

Hooking the product up is a snap. Plug in the power supply, set your source to 720p, turn everything on, and then attach the adapter to your 27" iMac. (This product only works if the DisplayPort can handle both input and output, which is currently supported only in the 27" iMac model.) Once everything is connected, your screen will go blank for a moment or two and then show your new source. You can also keep everything hooked up and switch between your external source and the iMac's internals by hitting Command-F2.

That's right, we said 720p. While the 27" iMac enjoys a native resolution of 2560 by 1440, the screen only supports 720p input video the DisplayPort.

"This is due to limitation of the iMac 27" as a display which accepts only 1280x720(720p) or 2560x960 resolution base on the display EDID," the product's official site explains. "If and when the iMac 27" accepts a 1920x1080(1080p) resolution the Kanex XD will be able to output at 1080p."

It's not a huge deal when playing console games that are often rendered at 720p or lower, but when watching Blu-ray discs sitting close to the screen, it's a disappointment. Is this high on Apple's priority list to fix? We're skeptical.

The good news is that the image looks great on the screen, resolution be damned, and there doesn't seem to be any lag while playing games on a console. We tested the input using Rock Band, where even a slight delay is easy to spot, and came away impressed. Audio is handled via the HDMI cable, so only a single connection is needed if you're using the computer's speakers.

The product itself is spartan, with a single LED letting you know it's turned on and a single port on either end of the device (one for HDMI and the other for Mini DisplayPort).

The package is complete

The Kanex XD comes with the converter, a short HDMI cable, a Mini DisplayPort cable, and the power supply. You won't have to buy any extra cables or accessories in order to get everything running.

The resolution limit disappoints, but until Apple fixes the scaling on the system, there isn't much to be done. For now, this is a good way to get a little more use out of your iMac with what has to be considered a niche product for a small set of Apple fans. Still, it does what is expected of it, and will make its few owners very happy.